SPECIAL RESPONSE TEAM

Goal:

The Special Response Team remains a critical part of the continued commitment of the Wood County Sherriff’s Office of providing the highest quality law enforcement possible to the citizen’s of Wood County. The safety of all of our citizens is of top priority. The members of the SRT train on a regular basis to ensure that they are fully prepared to respond to a variety of critical incidents including but not limited to, hostage situations, barricaded subjects, armed assailants, and high risk arrest/search warrants.

History:

The Wood County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team originated in the spring of 1995 and included eight original members, all of whom were Wood County Sheriff’s Deputies. Over the next several years the SRT grew to approximately 10-12 team members, all of whom were Wood County Sheriff’s Deputies. At that time, team members relied on a limited amount of equipment to help them successfully complete their missions.

Today’s SRT:

Today’s SRT is a multi-jurisdictional team comprised of law enforcement officers from various agencies throughout Wood County, including the Wood County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Bowling Green Police, the City of Perrysburg Police, the City of Rossford Police, the City of Northwood Police, Perrysburg Township Police and Bowling Green State University Police.  Oversight of the SRT, however, is still managed by the Wood County Sheriff’s Office.

For an officer to become a member of the SRT they must pass a physical agility test and a rigorous interview process. Once accepted as a new team member, officers then must successfully complete a Tactical Operations course. The SRT trains regularly every month to ensure that every team member maintains a high level of tactical proficiency.  Membership on the team is voluntary and team members respond to situations that arise on an on-call basis. The team’s size traditionally ranges from 15-20 members, with a 24 member maximum. Members of the SRT are trained on a variety of equipment and skills that the average law enforcement officer would not be afforded the opportunity to learn. Throughout the years, the SRT has acquired a multitude of specialized equipment to assist them in completing their missions. At their disposal now are an Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP)  vehicle and a variety of less-lethal force options.

Contact Information:

Lieutenant Rod Smith
Office: 419-354-9682
Email: rlsmith@woodcountyohio.gov

 

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